Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc. Sells 9,312 Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Key Points

• Ferguson Wellman Capital Management reduced its Merck stake by 2.4%, selling 9,312 shares and retaining 376,644 shares valued at approximately $48.4 million. Institutional investors collectively own 76.07% of Merck.
• Merck insiders sold 228,238 shares worth nearly $30 million over the past 90 days, including substantial sales by two executive vice presidents. Company insiders own just 0.17% of the stock.
• Analyst sentiment remains generally positive, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and a $147.60 price target. Merck reported quarterly revenue of $16.61 billion, ahead of estimates, and announced a quarterly dividend of $0.85 per share.

Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc. lessened its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 2.4% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 376,644 shares of the company's stock after selling 9,312 shares during the period. Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc.'s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $48,399,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the business. Nissay Asset Management Corp Japan lifted its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 2.0% during the 2nd quarter. Nissay Asset Management Corp Japan now owns 336,267 shares of the company's stock worth $43,210,000 after acquiring an additional 6,635 shares during the last quarter. Braun Stacey Associates Inc. boosted its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 10.9% during the 2nd quarter. Braun Stacey Associates Inc. now owns 272,942 shares of the company's stock valued at $35,073,000 after acquiring an additional 26,920 shares during the period. Chapin Davis Inc. grew its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 1.7% in the 2nd quarter. Chapin Davis Inc. now owns 15,072 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,937,000 after acquiring an additional 252 shares during the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP grew its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 2.3% in the 2nd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 86,249,283 shares of the company's stock valued at $11,083,033,000 after acquiring an additional 1,934,312 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Philadelphia Investment Partners LLC purchased a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. in the second quarter worth $355,000. Institutional investors own 76.07% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Merck & Co., Inc.

In other news, EVP David Michael Williams sold 52,847 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $128.77, for a total value of $6,805,108.19. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 31,716 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,084,069.32. The trade was a 62.49% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP David R. Maraldo sold 18,706 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $128.72, for a total transaction of $2,407,836.32. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 18,212 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,344,248.64. The trade was a 50.67% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 228,238 shares of company stock worth $29,977,783. 0.17% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Royal Bank Of Canada downgraded Merck & Co., Inc. from an "outperform" rating to a "sector perform" rating and lifted their target price for the stock from $142.00 to $150.00 in a research report on Thursday, August 20th. Guggenheim raised their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $145.00 to $146.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated a "neutral" rating and set a $120.00 price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a report on Monday, July 6th. Bank of America boosted their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $130.00 to $141.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 30th. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a "hold (c-)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a research note on Tuesday. Fifteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $147.60.

Merck & Co., Inc. Price Performance

Shares of MRK stock opened at $148.30 on Friday. Merck & Co., Inc. has a twelve month low of $77.58 and a twelve month high of $156.92. The company has a current ratio of 1.32, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $131.78 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $122.41. The stock has a market capitalization of $365.88 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 118.64, a P/E/G ratio of 6.27 and a beta of 0.19.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The company reported ($0.13) EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($0.26) by $0.13. The firm had revenue of $16.61 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $16.37 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 16.73% and a net margin of 4.77%.The business's revenue for the quarter was up 5.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $2.13 earnings per share. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.660-2.760 EPS. On average, analysts predict that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 2.76 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, October 7th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be given a dividend of $0.85 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 15th. This represents a $3.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.3%. Merck & Co., Inc.'s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 272.00%.

About Merck & Co., Inc.

Merck & Co, Inc is a global biopharmaceutical company engaged in the discovery, development, manufacture and marketing of prescription medicines, vaccines, biologic therapies and animal health products. Its portfolio spans multiple therapeutic areas with a particular emphasis on oncology, vaccines and infectious disease, as well as therapies for metabolic and chronic conditions. Among its well-known products are the cancer immunotherapy Keytruda (pembrolizumab) and the human papillomavirus vaccine Gardasil; the company also markets a range of medicines and vaccines for veterinary use through Merck Animal Health.

Founded in the late 19th century as the U.S.

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